Review of: The Soul of an American President, on Eisenhower’s Faith
The Soul of an American President: The Untold Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Faith.
By Alan Sears and Craig Osten with Ryan Cole. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2019)
Austin Trantham (Jacksonville University)
Dwight David Eisenhower served in many public roles during his adult life, including President of Columbia University, Army Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II, and the thirty-fourth President of the United States. These positions undoubtedly define Eisenhower’s professional career, but what about his religious life? The main inquiry posed by the text concerns the genuineness of Eisenhower’s faith. Did his beliefs stem from an abiding and personal connection to the Savior, or was Ike’s religious devotion merely a public act to further his political career? Was “the man from Abilene” a true man of God? Within the pages of The Soul of an American President: The Untold Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Faith, authors Alan Sears and Craig Osten with journalist Ryan Cole take readers on a historical and spiritual journey to answer these questions while providing a typically unseen look into the life of a well-known subject.
The veracity of Eisenhower’s religiosity is examined through his personal and professional life. Sears and his coauthors begin with an overview of his family’s religious heritage. “Ike” was the progeny of devout believers, albeit aligning with various faith traditions. Eisenhower’s own home life centered around daily prayers and weekly Bible study. While learning religious tenets shaped the future president, his mother’s association with Jehovah’s Witnesses proved a source of conflict during his future political endeavors. Eisenhower’s faith journey was further shaped by personal relationships with those close in his life. One of these individuals was a Presbyterian named Mamie Doud. During their marriage, Ike would be baptized into her family’s denomination, and his association with the Presbyterianism would become an important part of his adult life as a faithful parishioner in two church congregations. A noted friendship with the Reverend Billy Graham gave Eisenhower a significant spiritual source of advice and counsel as well, extending into his presidency.
The authors detail how faith played a significant role in the three professional spheres that Eisenhower inhabited over nearly two decades—the U.S. military, academia, and politics. The book details his fervency in articulating the central belief in the necessity of a Christian foundation for one’s life. Contributing to a psalm and prayer book for American servicemen, Eisenhower allowed young men to tie their selfless service to others to the teachings of Christ. As president of Columbia University, Ike reiterated the importance of worshipping God in formal speeches and addresses. This activity, Sears and his colleagues note, is evidence that Eisenhower became more vocal about his faith during and after the war. The work further argues that Eisenhower broadly advocated faith as the center of American life during the twentieth century.
The authors also address Eisenhower’s journey in reconciling his personal faith traditions with his increasing presence on the American political stage. Eisenhower believed that if he started attending a church or talked openly about faith as a public figure, citizens would interpret it as a political ploy for votes or approval. Discussing this moral dilemma with Claire Booth Luce, U.S. Congresswoman, wife of Time Magazine founder Henry Luce, and a personal friend, Eisenhower reconsidered and resolved that attending services would show the importance of religion for his contemporaries and younger generations.
The authors devote an entire chapter to detailing the intertwining of religion as a personal and pollical topic through Eisenhower’s aforementioned friendship with Billy Graham. The famed evangelist would be a constant companion and spiritual mentor to the Republican president, discussing Bible verses on salvation and praying with him while also adding a religious tone to various political speeches. It was Graham who encouraged Eisenhower to join the Presbyterian church. These decisions reflected the strong role of religion within 1950s American society. Religion was increasingly salient in American culture after the war, with growing attendance at organized services and a general belief in the divinity of Christ.
Once president, Eisenhower publicly advocated the power of religion to combat the pressing domestic and foreign policy issues of the era. His approach to segregation and civil rights was informed by his personal faith and relationships with notable religious elders, including Billy Graham. Regarding international politics, Eisenhower believed that religious freedom was a spiritual weapon that could be strategically utilized to defeat communism and to help deliver a positive message to those behind the Iron Curtain. Sears and his colleagues further chronicle Eisenhower’s overt, practical steps to defend and promote religion in American society, including reorganizing the bureaucracy to help curtail Soviet efforts to diminish faith-based initiatives abroad. At home, he encouraged religious messaging that continues today by adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance and placing “In God We Trust” on paper currency.
Finally, Eisenhower never forgot the power of prayer from his youth, as he encouraged Americans to pray for the United States during his time in office.
The Soul of an American President provides a unique perspective on Dwight Eisenhower’s evolving mindset concerning the relationship between religion and public life. Sears and his coauthors do well in blending Ike’s private and public spiritual journey throughout their narrative. This approach allows the reader to potentially reflect on their own faith and relationship with Christ, recalling influences from family, trusted friends and pastors.
Another positive point about the text concerns the detail in how Scripture impacted Eisenhower at different points in his life. Readers lean that Ike had memorized the Bible by age 12, used Scripture as supporting evidence in arguments, and was later inaugurated president on a Bible open to II Chronicles 7:14, stating “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV) These examples provide a further examination into Eisenhower’s religious life, and fit well within the overall scope of the text. Despite these positive attributes, I would have enjoyed a bit more attention paid to conversations that Eisenhower may have had with Mamie regarding her own faith background or inclusion of meaningful quotes from her on the subject.
Was Eisenhower’s faith expression out of personal conviction or partisan political gain? The authors present a convincing work strongly supporting the former position. This book would certainly be enjoyed by academics including historians and political scientists, presidential history enthusiasts of any age, and all those looking to better comprehend the life of a noted president, general, husband, father, and man of faith.
